Maia Negre recreates the original Capitola Art and Wine Festival logo from 1987, which now graces the festival glasses and other festival items.

Maia Negre Featured 2018 Capitola Beach Festival Poster Artist

Maia Negre creates the 2018 Capitola Beach Festival Poster, an annual event which carries forward many of the same traditions as the Capitola Begonia Festival.
Posters are still available, please find them in the online shop.

Woman of the Week, Santa Cruz Socialites

By Carrie Kingsley: Santa Cruz is at the heart of artist Maia Negre’s work and life. She takes the natural beauty that we Santa Cruzans sometimes take for granted – ocean views, cliffs, mountains – and captures it with her paintbrush in a way that captivates. Her beautiful artwork is visible all over the county, and she has worked hard to collaborate with the community in ways that show her deep appreciation for the place she calls home. Maia’s career is the confluence of her passions – art and athleticism – and her entrepreneurial spirit. Her career has followed what she calls a natural progression, but it takes more than inertia to keep an artist’s career moving forward. Maia has worked hard to achieve success; in addition to her line of much sought-after cards, bags, and art-based products, she does commercial graphic design work, and is currently working on several commissioned oil paintings, a collaboration with another artist, and, of course, her solo projects. Read entire article here.

Maia Negre featured 2015 Capitola Art and Wine Festival Poster Artist

This year's featured poster artist is Maia Negre of Aptos, CA. Maia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Painting and minor in business from San Jose State University. In addition to being a full time artist, she also designs and distributes her private line of art products to health food stores and boutiques throughout the West Coast. Her painting for the 2015 Capitola Art and Wine Festival depicts a serene overview of our charming Capitola Village and Soquel Creek, from a light and weightless perspective viewing the land, sea, and sky. Previous posters by Maia Negre include the Comerica Bank Challenger Tennis Tournament, Women on Waves Surf Festival, and the Sandman Triathlon. When she's not painting, you can find her on the tennis court or surfing in the sea.

Mural expands in Capitola, Life - Aptos, Soquel, Capitola April 2015

By Tarmo Hannula - A highly visible colorful mural in Capitola is expanding due to popular demand. Mural artists Maia Negre of Aptos and John Ton of Petaluma (creator of the initial phase of the mural) are busy adding begonias and people to the 35-foot extension. "The murals are for the community and they are about the community," Ton said. "As Maia said, the outpouring of support from people passing by is almost constant, and that feels good." The overall mural, which depicts a Capitola Beach scene surrounded by hundreds of begonias, will eventually stand at more tha 100-feet long and about 14-feet high. "I'm very excited to be working with John on the mural," said Negre on Tuesday. "We get so much positive feedback from people passing by. People are are so happy about it. Its an amazing feeling and so rewarding."

By Noel Smith and Jay Peters - Artists John Ton and Maia Negre have finished their 2nd mural along Wharf Road in Capitola. Both provide a unique artist's view of what makes Capitola Special. The first mural was dedicated on November 20, 2010 and the dedication for the second was held March 28, 2015. The cement retaining wall along Wharf road's descent into Capitola Village with the train trestle and the bluff looming above provide an exceptional artist's venue for these two works of public art. Maia's art will also be on display in Capitola this year at the Capitola Art & Wine Festival as she was selected as the poster artist for this years event. The mural extension was funded by the City of Capitola's 2 percent for Art program which helps fun and place public art throughout the City.

Capitola Mural Expands, Register Pajaronian March 19, 2015

By Tarmo Hannula - A highly visible colorful mural in Capitola is expanding due to popular demand. Mural artists Maia Negre of Aptos and John Ton of Petaluma (creator of the initial phase of the mural) are busy adding begonias and people to the 35-foot extension. "The murals are for the community and they are about the community," Ton said. "As Maia said, the outpouring of support from people passing by is almost constant, and that feels good." The overall mural, which depicts a Capitola Beach scene surrounded by hundreds of begonias, will eventually stand at more tha 100-feet long and about 14-feet high. "I'm very excited to be working with John on the mural," said Negre on Tuesday. "We get so much positive feedback from people passing by. People are are so happy about it. Its an amazing feeling and so rewarding."

Cascading begonias frame a beach vignette as a mother and daughter hold hands near a girl flying a kite. The scene is the design of a new Capitola mural, approved by the Santa Cruz County Regional Board of Transportation on Thursday.
“I wanted to incorporate the begonias, a very tried and true theme of Capitola,” said artist John Ton, who is extending his mural on Wharf Road to the wall under the railroad trestle, “and I love to have normal people in murals, people who you and I might see walking down the street.”
Ton will have assistance from local artist (Maia) Negre. “The desire for public art was the driving force,” said Lisa Murphy, Capitola’s administrative services director. “The wall is just kind of ugly. It really is just a blank and gray cement surface, and we wanted to add some colorful life to it.” Read full article here.

O'neill Sea Odyssey inspires Maia Negre's Ocean Images, August 2013

Artist Maia Negre recently had the opportunity to ride along with students on an O'Neill Sea Odyssey field trip and witness the educational experience available to low income children. Inspired by this program, she has now partnered with OSO to increase ocean awareness and help raise money for their nonprofit organization. One of her paintings was inspired by the iconic photograph taken by Steve Lawson in October of 2011. Lawson captured a photograph of a 35 to 40 foot humpbackwale surfacing just 20 feet from the O'Neill Sea Odysset with students on board. Select original art pieces from Maia's series will be sold to benefit the program. To learn more about the O'Neill Sea Odyssey program, click here.

Sunday Art & Music at the Beach in Capitola, June 2013

Each year local painters, photographers, jewelers and more come out to show off their latest work and mingle with the crowds. The event prides itself on bringing together a collection of accomplished artists representing diverse mediums. While there are dozens of artists scheduled to appear, here is a small sampling of the artists who you will find at the Art & Music events this summer: Maia Negre is a bay area native who lives in Santa Cruz. She has been painting since she was 17, and is also an accomplished graphic designer. When asked about the Art & Music event Maia said, “I LOVE this summer event, it’s a great show. It occurs at the very location where I learned to surf (and surfing and the ocean are big-time inspirations for my work), and it is where I had my very first art show 8 years ago.”
Read full article here.

Santa Cruz based female-artist Maia Negre has been donating a portion of the proceeds from her gift cards sold in select Whole Foods Market stores. Her partnership with Whole Planet Foundation helps fund and empower aspiring entrepreneurs in global communities with microloans. Maia has been producing breath-taking art for private individuals, businesses, philanthropic and ocean/surf organizations for the past 7 years. She is thrilled to be a part of Whole Planet Foundation's philanthropic movement and is enjoying this opportunity to forge new partnerships and make the needed difference for individuals and the planet, one card at a time. Learn More about Whole Planet Foundation.

Wine and Waves Opening at Cava Wine Bar, Dec 3, 2011

On the heels of Santa Cruz being named the fifth most artistic city in the United States by The Atlantic, local artists are displaying their work to the public this weekend. Among them is Maia Negre, a 30-year-old painter and surfer who has lived in Santa Cruz for the past 13 years.
Her work will be on display at the Ron Blitzer Gallery as part of the Oceans of Art show beginning this Friday, Dec. 2. The opening takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature a range of artwork from 27 local surfer-artists. On Saturday, Dec. 3, Negre will have her own art show opening at Cava Wine Bar in Capitola from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The showing, titled “Waves and Wine,” will be on display through the end of the month.

More than 30 artists come together in a new surf/art show inspired by the majesty and mystery of the ocean, Dec 2 2011

One of the many useful things that the oceans have given us is a handy metaphor for vastness and plenty. The new group art show at the R. Blitzer Gallery in Santa Cruz, then, is certainly named appropriately.
On the heels of Santa Cruz County being named the fifth most artistic community in the U.S. by Atlantic magazine, what better thing to call a new show of artists than "Oceans of Arts."
The "Oceans" part of that title refers to the literal entity, the mighty Pacific, from our viewpoint on the West Coast. The new show has gathered 31 local artists who have something to do with the ocean, whether they are surfers or ocean lovers or just artists focused on the ocean. On Friday, as part of the First Friday Santa Cruz celebration, the gallery will host an "Art Party," beginning at 4 p.m. Read the full article here.

Like an undersea ecosystem, the many connections linking the surfers, filmmakers and artists of our community are as likely to be forged while sharing a wave as they are from sharing artistic mediums or collaborative projects.
Even the identities are as blurred as an underwater portrait. Surfers, artists and filmmakers create art on waves, canvas, film and in three-dimensional spaces, and everyone is bound to the ocean and each other through a shared passion.
"Surf art doesn't just depict a scenery, surf art is actually an experience," said Maia Negre, a surfer/artist who captures water, movement and her passion for the ocean on canvas with oil paints. "When a surfer paints the ocean and that experience, art becomes a lot more than a visual experience for the viewer. It is a beautiful, amazing thing to be part of the ocean." Read the full article here.

September 2011, First Friday Art Tour- Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz artist, Maia Negre, will be featured at Nut Kreations September 2011. Nut Kreations is proud to be featuring this beautiful artist! Opening reception Friday Sept 2nd, 2011.

Maia Negre featured Artist in New Marriot Hotel in Santa Cruz, CA July 2011

The new Fairfield Inn & Suites, located on 41st ave in Santa Cruz, CA showcases local art, selected by interior designer, Velia Anderson. Visitors to this new hotel will find ocean scenes by Santa Cruz oil painter Maia Negre and photographs by locals Nikki Brooks, Seraphina Landgrebe and William Constantine.
Read the full article here.

July 2011, Maia is the featured artist for the Comerica Bank Challenger, held at Seascape Sports Club in Aptos, California. The $100,000 Comerica Bank Challenger is the longest running tennis challenger in the United States. The week long event was sponsored by the United States Tennis Association and brings internationally renowned athletes from around the world to compete.

"For Maia Negre, home is where the art is. Santa Cruz, with its world-class sprawling surf, mountains and vineyards has proven to be a benevolent muse to the local painter and self-described water baby...."

New Mural Adorns Capitola, Aptos Pajaronian, November 2010

"Capitola artist Maia Negre , assistant to Jon Ton, paints images of begonias on the mural..."Its a meaningful mural and I'm glad to be able to help, to be a part of this important project"...."

Q&A with Maia Negre, Santa Cruz Waves 2010

Q and A interview with Santa Cruz's Maia Negre

Marin Magazine, September 2010

"...Her work reflects her passion for the ocean and other coastal landscapes in Northern California and is heavily influenced by her participation within these natural environments..."

Maia Negre Featured as Cover Model of Travel Sport

Maia is featured as cover model for Travel Sport, modeling Girls4Sport swimwear. www.girls4sport.com

Maia Negre Featured Artist, Zuna Surf, 2006

...Maia does commissioned art pieces for clients' homes, from their favorite surfing and ocean scenes to landscapes. She also sells handmade gift cards to local shops. For commission requests or other inquiries about her work, visit www.. Catch her work at the Capitola Esplanade during the Saturday, April 8 Women on Waves fest. Read the full article here.

In keeping with its real-woman stance, the company includes actual surfers, rather than just models, in its catalogs. Maia Negre, 21, of Capitola, was working in the Paradise Surf Shop viewing the company's latest line of clothing. Now, Negre often wears Chickabiddy clothing when she surfs off the Santa Cruz coast, and she appears in the catalogs.
"That's what they should do - use girls that really surf instead of just girls with perfect bodies," Maia said. "That's what it's about - real women surfing and giving power to girls."